The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-05-23

with her parents a maiden of them
OF Margaret. From infancy she had
been sckly, and although she had now
reached the years ofearly womanhood,
she could not run or walk about as
Others did, but she had to be wheeled
hither and thither in chair This
was very sad, yet Margaret was SO
gentle and accomplishing that from
aught she said you never would have
thought her life was full OF
suffering. Seeing her helplessness.
the symathetic things OF nature had
compassion and were very good to
Margaret. Thesunbeams stole across
her pathway everywhere, the grass
clustered thickest and greenest where
she went, the winds caressed her gen.
tly as they passed, and the birds
loved to perch near her window and
sing their prettiest songs. Margaret
loved them all-the sunlight, the sing
ing winds, thegrass, the caroling. BIRDS;
she communed with them, their WIS
dom inspired her life, and this wisdom
gave her nature rare beauty.
Every pleasant day Margaret was
wheeled from her home in the city
down to the beach, and there for hours
she would sit, looking out, far out up
on the ocean. as il she were commun-
ing with the ocean spirits that lifted up
their white arms from the restless
waters and beckoned her to come.
Oftentimes the children playing on
the beach came where Margaret sat,
and heard her tell little stories Of the
pebbles and the shells, OF the ships
away out at sea, OF the corresponding
gulls, OF the grass, of the flowers, OF the
other beautiful things OF life; and so
in time the children came to love
Margaret. =,
Among those who so often gathered
10 hear the gentle sick girl tell her
pretty stories was youth OF Marga'
ret's ape-older than the Others, n
youth OF sturdy frame and face full
of candor and earnestness. His name
was Edward, and he was a student
in the city; he hoped to become agreat
scholar sometime, and he toiled very
zealously to that end. The patience the
gentleness, the sweet simplicity, the Tor
titude OF the sick girl charmed him.
He found in her little stories quaint
and beautiful philosophy he never yet
had found in books; there was avalor
in her life he never yet had read OF in
histories. So, every day she came
and sat upon the beach, Edward came,
too, and with the children he heard
Margaret's stories OF the sea, the air,
the grass, the birds, and the flowers
From her moist eyrie in the surf the
old gum boot described the group up
on the beach each pleasant day. Now
the old gum boot had seen enough oil
the world to know thing or two, as
we presently shall see.
."That tall young man is not a
child" quoth the old gum boot, "'yet
he comes every day with the children
to hear the sick girl tell her stories!
All, hap'
"Perhaps he is the DOCTOR" suggest.
the little oyster, and then she added
with q sigh, "but, OH hope not"
This suggestion seemed to amuse
the old gum boot highly; at least she
fell into such hysterical laughter that
she sprang a leak near her little toe,
which, considering her environments,
was a serious mishap.
"Unless am greatly mistaken, my
child" said the old gum boot to the
little oyster, chat young man is in
love with the sick girl!'
"Oh, how terrible" said the little
oyster and she meant it, too, for she
was thinking OF the gallant young
perch with green fins. $3.50,
"Well, I've said it and mean i'll"
continued the old gum boot, NOV
just wait and see."
The old gum boot had guessed
aright-so much for the value Of
worldly experience! Edward loved
Margaret; to him she was the most
beautiful, the most perfect being in the
world; her very words seemed to exalt
his nature. Yet he never Gpoke to
her OF love. He was content to come
with The children TO hear the STORIES
to look upon her sweet face and to
worship her in silence. Was not that
very wondrous lover
In course OF time, the sick girl Mar
garet became more interested in the
little ones that thronged daily tc
hear her pretty stories, and she put
her beautiful fancies into the LITTLE
songs and quaint poems and tender
legends-songs and poems and
legends about the sea, the
flowers, the birds, and other beau
tiful creations OF nature, and II
all there was sweet simplicity, a del
icacy, a reverence that bespoke Mar
garet's spiritual purity and wisdom
In the teaching, and marveling eve
at its beauty, Edward grew to man
hood. She was his inspiration, bu
he never spoke OF love to Margaret
And so the years went by.